Material-elevator



No. 623,990. Patented May 2, 1899; H. CULL.

MATERIAL ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Aug. 15, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 $heats$hoet l.

m: NORRPS Hz'rzas co, nuruuma. wAsumm'wm 0 cv No. 623,990. Patented May 2, I899.- H. CULL.

MATERIAL ELEVATOR.

(Application filed. Aug. 15, 1896.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Ill llllllllll TINTTTTD STATES PATENT rmcn.

HENRY CULL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MATERIAL-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,990, dated May 2, 1899.

Application filed August 15,1896. Serial No. 602,922. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Material-Elevators Used by Builders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in endless-chain elevators for hoisting brick, mortar, tile, plaster, dad, to be used in the construction of buildings; and the object of my improvements is to diminish the elements of danger to the workmen of being killed or hurt while operating this class of machines and to make the task of operating and setting up and taking down less laborious. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical side view of the machine as it appears in operation. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side View of my combined gear and sprocket wheels, showing pawl and pinion. Fig. 4 is a front view of gear-wheel and sprocket-wheel, showing their connecting-arms. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing parts of the main frame of the lower part of the machine with pivoted swinging hangers attached supporting the lower sprocket-wheel.

Similar letters and figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in figures, my device consists of an upper frame 1, bearing the horizontal parallel shafts 2 and 8 and parts attached thereto, a lower frame 20, a swinging hammer pivoted therein, a horizontal shaft journaled in said hanger, a sprocket wheel upon said shaft, a sprocket chain belt actuated by an upper sprocket-wheel on shaft 2 and actuating the lower sprocket-wheel, and an inclined guide 21. The said upper frame 1 consists of a framework of iron or other suitable material, having journaled in its upper part the shaft 2. Said shaft is provided with a gearwheel A. Attached to said gear-wheel by a plurality of curved arms 6 is the upper sprocket wheel 5, adapted to actuate the sprocket chain belt. The said curved arms form in effect a grooved pulley between the said geared wheel and upper sprocket and at the same time serves to take the torsional strain off the shaft. The shaft 8 is journaled in the said upper frame beneath shaft 2 and is provided with a pinion 25, designed to actuate the said gear-wheel 4. At either end of said shaft 8 are winch-handles, by means of which the said shaft is rotated and the elevator actuated. Attached to the upperframc at a point beneath the said gear-wheel 4 is a gravity-acting pawlconsisting of a pawl-arm 23 and a weighted end 24:, adapted to engage the gears of the said wheel and prevent the reverse or backward rotation of the same. The lower frame 20 consists of an upright rectangular frame joined to horizontal bedpieces or sills. The said frame is provided with the swinging hanger 14. The said hanger is also rectangular and adapted to fit within said frame 20 at its upper part. It is attached to said frame 20 by means of the bolts 15 15 and 16 16, extending through the said frame and swinging hanger at the upper and lower parts thereof, respectively. The sides of said frame are provided with a plurality of holes adapted to receive said upper bolts 15 15 and on each side with slots to receive the bolts 16 16, thereby adapting said swinging hanger to be raised or lowered in the said frame 20, thus forming a tightening device for the aforesaid sprocket chain belt, the said chain having operative connection with both the said sprocket-wheels. Journaled horizontally in said hanger is the sprocket-shaft 13, the bearings thereof being at a point between said bolts 15 and 16. The sprocket wheel 12 upon the said shaft is adapted to be engaged by the sprocket chain belt 11 and be rotated thereby. It is evident that by releasing the lower part of said hanger by removing bolts 16 the said hanger will be adapted to swing upwardly, thereby removing the strain from the chain belt 11. A gravity-acting pawl 18 is pivoted in the upper part of said swinging hanger above said sprocket-wheel in such position that the point of said pawl will rest continuously upon the said sprocket-wheel and permit the rotation thereof in one direction, but prevent the reverse or backward rotation by engaging the sprockets thereon. The guide 2L consists of an inclined slide, of any suitable material, having a grooved surface, one end of said slide or guide resting upon the ground or the base of the lower frame and the other end thereof inclined against and attached to the upright frame 20at a point beneath the lower sprocket wheel and adapted to guide the handle of a hod or other receptacle for materials into contact with the sprocket chain belt.

011 the top beams of frame 1 are secured two metal boxes 3, in which rests shaft 2. These bearings contain a series of rollers 26, which lie between box 3 and shaft 2 and parallel therewith, forming what is sometimes called antifriction-bearings.

Numbers 4 and 5 are the rims of a spurgear and a sprocket-wheel, respectively, and are connected together by arms 6, or the connection may be solid, and are all supported upon shaft 2 byone hub and one set of spokes, which may connect with the rim of either the gear or sprocket wheel, or with both of the same or the arms U, connecting them. The rims of the two wheels are only far enough apart to allow the sides of the chain-links to drop between them freely. This arrangement of wheels and 5, with arms 6, serves as a grooved wheel or pulley, over which a rope may be placed to draw up or let down the chains. This is done by using a rope with a hook at the end and hooking the same into the chain when disconnecting the same, thereby lowering the same to the ground. Also when setting up the machine the said grooved pulley serves a useful purpose in affording convenient means for elevating the chain ends preparatory to uniting the same, or it may be used to. hoist other things by means of a rope. This combination of wheels and connecting-arms also admits of a saving in weight of material, is economical in labor of construction and repair, and removes nearly all torsional working strain from the shaft.

To put in position for operation, the lower frame 20 is usually placed on the first floor of the building being erected and directly under an opening between the joists above or a clear passage-way otherwise provided. The top frame is then placed 011 the floor to which the material is to be elevated over the said opening and directly over the frame on the floor below, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The chain belt 11 is then put in place. By the old method the chain is placed over the up per sprocket-wheel and in length adjustment is slack enough to slip over the lugs on the lower sprocket-wheel 12. Blocks are then put under the top frame to tighten the chain. This requires climbing to the top of the building when the machine is otherwise ready to operate. To overcome this trouble and loss of time, I have provided the adj ustable hanger 14., which by removing bolts 10 will swing on bolts 15 15, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and admit of putting the chain in place adjusted to the proper length. Extra holes 17 in frame 20 are also provided, which in connection with slotted hole for bolts 16 16 admits of raising or lowering the hanger 14 to get abetter tension on the chain.

Hod 22 has an iron hook at the nose or open end, by which it is readily attached to or detached from chain 11, by which it is carried to the floors above. The carrier hangs the loaded hod on the chain. The handle naturally drops between guides 21, and whether the machine is in motion or not ,requires no more attention below. The tender steps away at once and is out of danger from bricks or other objects that frequently fall from above. Vithout the guides it is necessary to remain near the hod and place the handle in position on chain 11.

The common practice in this class of machines is to use one pawl, and in the event of breakage the load falls to the bottom, with great danger to the lives of the workingmen employed below. To obviate this danger, I employ a pawl on the lower sprocket-wheel and also a pawl on the upper gear-wheel, whereby in the event of breakage or slipping of one the other will sustain the load, thereby avoiding danger of accident. Inasmuch as the teeth upon the gear wheel are seveneighths of an inch apart and the teeth upon the sprocket-wheel a greater distance apart, the use of two pawls greatly lessens the amount of lost motion in stopping and starting the machine, thus resulting in a great saving of work.

I claim as my invention 1.. In a hod-elevator, the combination with an upper sprocket-wheel, a lower sprocketwheel, a sprocket elevator-chain actuated by the said wheels, means for attaching a hod to the said chain, and means fol-guiding the handle of the hod into contact with the said chain.

2. In a hod-elevator, the combination with an upper sprocket-wheel, a lower sprocketwheel, a sprocket elevator-chain actuated by said wheels, to which a hod is adapted to be attached, and a guide adapted to engage the handle of the hod while being filled and direct itinto proper relation with the chain while elevated.

3. In a hod-elevator, the combination with an upper and a lower sprocket wheel, a sprocket elevator chain actuated by said sprocket-Wheels, to which a hod is adapted to be attached, and an inclined guide located below the lower sprocket-wheel, adapted to direct the handle of said hod into proper engagement with said chain.

4:. In a hod-elevator, the combination of actuating means, upper and lower sprocketwheels journaled in an upper and a lower frame, a chain elevator actuated by the same and means for tightening said chain consisting of a swinging hanger adjustably pivoted in the lower frame, the shaft of the said lower sprocket being journaled in said hanger.

HENRY CULL.

\Vitnesses:

OSCAR PETERSON, CHESTER T. DRAKE. 

